Dynamic Phase Alignment in Inertial Alfv´en Turbulence

In weakly-collisional plasma environments with sufficiently low electron beta, Alfv\'enic turbulence transforms into inertial Alfv\'enic turbulence at scales below the electron skin-depth, $k_\perp d_e > 1$. We argue that, in inertial Alfv\'enic turbulence, both energy and generalized kinetic helicity exhibit direct cascades. We demonstrate that the two cascades are compatible due to the existence of a strong scale-dependence of the phase alignment angle between velocity and magnetic field fluctuations, with the phase alignment angle scaling as $\cos\alpha_k\propto k_{\perp}^{-1}$. As a result of the dual direct cascade, the generalized-helicity spectrum scales as $\propto k^{-5/3}_{\perp}$, implying progressive balancing of the turbulence as the cascade proceeds to smaller scales in the $k_{\perp} d_e \gg 1$ range. Our results may be applicable to a variety of geophysical, space, and astrophysical environments, including the Earth's magnetosheath and ionosphere, solar corona, non-relativistic pair plasmas, as well as to strongly rotating non-ionized fluids.